About the Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program oversees the investigation and cleanup of environmental contamination and the redevelopment of contaminated properties, including:
- Brownfield properties and voluntary cleanups.
- Spills of waste or product materials, both new and historical spills.
- Leaking underground storage tanks (LUST).
- Hazardous waste cleanups.
- Closed solid waste facilities.
- Superfund sites.
The RR Program consolidates state and federal cleanups into one program, including hazardous waste cleanup, leaking underground storage tank investigation and cleanup, spill response, state-funded cleanups and brownfield redevelopments.
One Cleanup Program
One Cleanup Program
The DNR and Region 5 of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) have a One Cleanup Program Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the two agencies. By clarifying the U.S. EPA's intentions and expectations with respect to Wisconsin's One Cleanup Program, the MOA expedites cleanups of all contaminated sites and guides property owners, developers, consultants and others in understanding how meeting Wisconsin's standards can satisfy both agencies.
Site Statistics
Summary of new contaminated sites and completed cleanups
The table summarizes the number of contaminated sites reported to the DNR since 1995, and the number of sites approved for case closure by the DNR each year. Most investigations and cleanups take more than a year; there is little correlation between the number of new sites reported in a year and the number of case closures in the same calendar year.
All new contamination incidents must be reported to the DNR by law. However, the DNR transfers responsibility for oversight of some incidents to other agencies. Cleanups where the contaminants are agricultural (e.g., fertilizer, pesticides) are overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Year New Reports To The DNR Of Contamination Case Closures Approved By The DNR TOTALS 15,315 14,552 2023
178
160
2022 224 225 2021 256 257 2020 197 306 2019 218 270 2018 232 346 2017 277 344 2016 283 271 2015 306 335 2014 288 348 2013 327 368 2012 362 500 2011 292 422 2010 336 464 2009 313 453 2008 444 467 2007 400 511 2006 477 604 2005 483 553 2004 544 543 2003 582 588 2002 600 540 2001 725 510 2000 720 815 1999 1,158 1,144 1998 1,686 842 1997 1,819 884 1996 1,588 1,482 State-Funded Cleanups
State-funded response
Under Section 20.370(2)(dv), Wis. Stats., the DNR may use appropriations from the state's Environmental Fund to take action at sites that endanger public health and the environment and need an immediate or long-term response. This is referred to as a state-funded response.
Cases where the RR Program may use state funds generally fall into the following categories.
- Environmental repair sites (Wis. Stat. § 292.31) – Properties or areas of concern where the individual or entity responsible for the contamination is unknown, unwilling or unable to pay for necessary remediation.
- Spill responses (Wis. Stat. § 292.11) – Locations where recent spills pose a public health or environmental threat that must be addressed immediately.
- Abandoned containers (Wis. Stat. § 292.41) – Properties with abandoned containers of a hazardous substance.
State funds may be used to finance a variety of activities, including:
- Site investigations.
- Design and installation of landfill caps.
- Providing temporary emergency drinking water to households with contaminated drinking water sources.
- Installation of treatment systems to remove pollutants from groundwater.
- Construction oversight.
- Operation and maintenance of treatment facilities and other remediation activities.
The RR Program hires environmental consultants and contractors to conduct state-funded response actions and attempts to recover the cost after the project is complete.